Turning a Vanity into A Desk


Mark needed a desk. We didn't have one, but we did have a vanity I no longer needed. 

The good news: it was the right size and matched an extra chair.

The Bad News: It was in bad shape. It is also a reproduction that is made of laminate. 

Painting laminate is a big undertaking. After some Google searches, I was ready to get started.




1) Clean said desk. This required Murphy's Oil Soap and a brush.
2) Tape off the areas I didn't want painted. I still wanted the desk to match the chair, and I thought the two tone look would be fun. 
3) Sand until the finish on the laminate starts to come up. Now, laminate won't come completely clean, you need to get up a good portion of it. Wipe away dust. This took about 2 sanding blocks.
4) Prime it. Sadly, my can of primer was faulty, so I had to get dressed and buy another. I used the Krylon Spray primer (it dries in 10 minutes).
5) Now it is time to paint. I used Krylon's Oil Rubbed Bronze. I sprayed it on in thin layers and smoothed it out with a sponge brush. It took about four coats to cover the open areas. Let dry.


6) Remove the tape. I discovered some of the tape didn't hold up in some places. Boo. However, it still looks good. Use Liquid Gold to polish the unpainted sections.


7) Spray the desk with polyurethane. Let dry.



 And we have a completed desk.




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